JUDD TRUMP V NEIL ROBERTSON
A repeat of their enthralling UK Championship semi-final, which Trump edged 9-7. He remarked afterwards that Robertson had been slow but it is naive to expect everyone to play the same game as him.
Actually, this is the worst mistake you can make playing Trump.
In the form he is in and with the confidence his success has brought it is going to be very hard to out-pot Trump, as Ronnie O'Sullivan discovered.
Robertson should instead play to his own strengths. He is a fine tactician but also a heavy scorer, a little like John Higgins.
Frustrate Trump if you can because, if you can't, he will take you apart.
That said, the fact Robertson has had to play in a new tip overnight doesn't add weight to the Australian's cause.
Prediction: Trump to win 6-4
JOHN HIGGINS V SHAUN MURPHY
Higgins has got it together for the first time in a big event this season. As professional snooker continues to evolve there are question marks over the three great players of the last 15 years, all 36, but Higgins remains a formidable match player.
Murphy has not been flawless in reaching his first masters semi-final but has at times been superb.
Martin Gould failed to press home his early advantage against him in the first round and Mark Selby made two key errors last night: a bungled safety on the black in frame two and a missed yellow in the sixth.
Murphy is exuding an air of great confidence. He is hitting the ball sweetly and scoring well when in.
The last player to complete the triple crown of world, UK and Masters titles was O'Sullivan by winning at the Crucible in 2001. Murphy has already won two and is closing in on a third.
Prediction: Murphy to win 6-3
15 comments:
I've got a sneaky feeling Murphy is going to win this event. This seems to be his MO, coming from nowhere and winning a big event. There are better players in his age range, but he seems the most adept at winning the big titles: out of all his peers, he is the only one to legitimately qualify as world class: winning one of the big three along with a world title (2wc, 1wc+1uk, 1wc+1m).
Nice one Neil!
Hi David. Trump v Robertson. Robertson held the upper hand for most of the match. He won the first two frames, the second, with a 100 break, to lead 2-0.
Good rosponse b Trump, to make it 2-1, with a 76 break. After Robertson went 3-1 up Trump missed a long blue, which, in my view, was a match-turner. Instead of 3-2, it was now 4-1 to Robertson.
Robertson went four up, with five to play, at 5-1, before Trump made it 5-3. He missed a blue. Robertson cleared up, for a 6-3 win. A place in The Masters Final, and it was third time lucky. Trump beat Robertson, in round one of the 2011 World Championship. He did so, again, in the 2011 U.K. Championship semi-final. Robertson won the day, in the semi-final of the 2012 Masters, today.
I can not wait for tonight's second semi. This aftrnoon's one, was great to watch. Credit to Trump, for fighting back in the mannor that he did. Robertson, in my view, though, deserved the victory.
Hi David. you asked who were players to have won masters at their first attept.
ANSWER:
John Specer - 1975
Doug Mountjoy - 1977
Terry Griffiths - 1980
Stephen Hendry - 1989
Mark Selby - 2008
"Robertson played slow and if I'd played my best I would have won easily". Yeah, right Judd! If granny had balls she'd be my grandfather.
I hope we haven't seen a change for the worst in Judd Trump today...... Where's the humility gone? I preferred his attitude before.
C'mon Judd, don't change into a whiner who hasn't the grace to wish Robertson well for the final.You are better than that.
IT'S EASY TO DO ANYTHING IN VICTORY - IT'S IN DEFEAT THAT A MAN REVEALS HIMSELF (Floyd Patterson, Heavyweight Champion of the World)
Trump needs to grow up and shut up. How dare he criticise Robertson's play.
Hi David. To correct my previous post, the first Masters winner was John Spencer, in 1975,. Not John Specer.
Higgins v Murphy. Higgins's stickability was key, in my vew. Murphy started in superb slyle. Breaks of 86 and 101, to give him each of the first two frames and a 2-0 lead. After missing on 62, Higgins was forced to sit down, as Murphy made a suprb 69 break, to win the frame on the black. 3-0.
Higgins's stickability and matchplay quality was shown, as he won frams 4 and 5. 3-2.
Murphy went 4-2 up,by winning the sixth, with a 122 break. Higgins reduced this to 4-3, making a 65, then, his highest break in the match.Another 100-plus break from Murphy, put him two up with three to play, at 5-3.
A near century break from Higgins in the ninth, 5-4. Great qualities.
Frame 10 - Higgins missed a tough pink, to a blind-pocker. Murphy ha a chance. From it, he made a good break, Missed a long red. From There, Higgins made a 48. Higgins unluck to left a pink ver the pocket. Murphy potted it, toclaim a 6-4 win. Hard graft. Agreat match. A great day's play, again, in my view
I can't wait for the final.
The plain fact is, is that there are a group of players that are better than Judd. If you look at his matches against the top boys, he's been pretty much beatable in most of them. His opponents have been allowing his potting ability to intimidate them, and Robertson seems to have cottoned on to that: in the UK Robertson was clearly nervy against him, but today he was composed and determined and fully exploited every weakness in Judd's game. Robertson wasn't particularly slow today—not as slow as he was in the UK at any rate—but he made a point of dictating the pace of the game, and a pace a notch below Judd's natural pace. He controlled every aspect of the match today and took Judd apart. I think we're seeing a Selby effect: Selby looked like he was going to become a prolific winner in that first season after his world final, but his tactic of slowing the game down had a shelf-life, and players soon developed a natural immunity to it, and maybe that it is starting to happen with Trump. He was beatable in all his UK matches and players are seeing quite a few misses inbetween all those fabulous pots, enough to actually cost him the match.
Robertson gets knocked a lot on here, but his performance today was meticulous and perfectly executed. If those are actually members of Judd's entourage in the audience being disruptive and not just regular fans, which Robbo intimated, then he should revoke their stage passes.
ray 7:46
Mark Allen said quite exactly the same this week.
Had to agree with Robertsons comments about the irritating shouts from the idiotic supporters of Trump.
Shouting out excessively every time he came to the table, fluking a ball etc.
Well done to Neil, ( and any player) who manages to silence them by putting up a good performance.
What I notice with Trump, is that if he is up against a player who Is putting up a decent fight of it, or leading Trump, the flashy long pots start to be missed, A few more errors start to creep in and he doesn't look like he can cope with any real pressure.
How many times in the WC final against John, did Trump get in first, make a break of 30-40 then miss , trying to be too much of a crowd pleasing smart-alec, only for Higgins to clear up and eventually win.
Same thing started to happen Against Allen in the recent UK final, Trump struggles to get over the line due to the pressure of Allen's onslaught, when up until then Trump had to expend little effort in building a lead, as Allen made too many errors.
I dont like Trump's nonchalant and sometimes reckless attitude to the game, and his opponents.
Mark Allen, well there's a model of propriety. Anyone got the shot-times for Robbo? He's not the fastest player on the circuit but he's hardly an Ebdon or Selby is he?
Robertson's domination of Trump today was a real joy to watch; the best performance of the tournament, for me at least. Pretty disappointed in Trump's remarks afterwards though.
Trump did show a side of himself I had rather not seen. Mark Allen should simply not speak at all .. Ever.
Don't take anything away from a proven winner and established player. Robertson stomped his authority on that match and played superb.
I actually like Allen as he just doesn't deal in media friendly soundbites like a lot of the top players.
Although most of what he says is absurd.
David, I adore your predictions! lololol Priceless!
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